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diggKJZZ creates Latino affairs desk
LP journalists on air
Two veteran journalists – both writers for Latino Perspectives – will man KJZZ 91.5 FM’s new Latino Affairs news desk.
Former LP editor and current freelancer James Garcia and LP columnist Marcos Najera will report and produce news segments to air weekdays on the station’s popular shows Morning Edition (3-9 a.m.) and All Things Considered (3-6 p.m.).
The NPR-affiliated radio station says the Latino programming is a result of growth in its Latino listeners to 20 percent from 7 percent in a few years.
Even better, the station’s news director promises to cover "diverse issues that cross cultures and share a slice of Latino life that extends beyond immigration and border issues."
If so, it would become one of the first English-language Valley radio stations to strike a balance in its coverage of the Hispanic community. Mainstream radio stations focus on immigration news, and local talk shows seem obsessed with demonizing Latinos.
A 2004 study shows Latinos are broadly concerned that the English-language media contribute to a negative image of Latinos among English-speaking Americans.
"How you get your news shapes how you see the world," said Roberto Suro, director of the Pew Hispanic Center, which conducted the survey.
"Our goal with this initiative is to better serve the burgeoning Latino audience by putting a face on the local Latino culture and telling stories that aren’t necessarily making headlines," says Mark Moran, KJZZ news director.
For more information, visit www.kjzz.org.
